Legendary motorcycle company Harley-Davidson has issued a recall for more than 29,000 motorcycles. The recall includes a “do not ride” notice to both owners and dealers because the defect is dangerous and could cause a motorcycle accident.
The problem is with the clutch in some 2014 touring models. A spokesperson said that the hydraulic system has the potential to lose its ability to generate sufficient life to disengage the clutch. The clutch is required to change gears on the motorcycle and a malfunction could be very dangerous if the rider is traveling at a high speed or in a heavily trafficked area.
The recall impacts bikes that were manufactured between May 3rd and October 14th of this year for both touring and custom bikes in a certain category. At the time that the recall was issued by Harley-Davidson the government was still shut down so the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration was not operating to monitor the recall. The motorcycle company says that they issued the recall in compliance with NHTSA’s standards. Proactive safety measures and recalls like this one are a good sign coming from companies and may help consumers have more confidence.
Car and motorcycle manufacturers have a responsibility to provide a reasonable safe vehicle to buyers and to warn them of any dangers that drivers and their passengers could face. When a vehicle malfunctions because of a product defect and causes an accident, the victims have a right to seek compensation from the manufacturer of the vehicle.
Source: Reuters, “Harley-Davidson recalls over 29,000 motorcylces to fix clutch issues,” Oct. 16, 2013.